The Genetic Basis of Toxin Biosynthesis in Dinoflagellates

In marine ecosystems, dinoflagellatescan become highly abundant and even dominant at times, despite their comparatively slow growth rates. One factor that may play a role in their ecological successis the production of complex secondary metabolite compounds that can have anti-predator, allelopathic, or other toxic effects on marine organisms, and also cause seafood poisoningin humans. Our knowledge about the genes involved in toxin biosynthesis in dinoflagellatesis currently limited due to the complex genomic features of these organisms. Most recently, the sequencing of dinoflagellate transcriptomeshas provided us with valuable insights into the biosynthesis of polyketideand alkaloid-based toxin molecules in dinoflagellatespecies. This review synthesizes the recent progress that has been made in understanding the evolution, biosynthetic pathways, and gene regulation in dinoflagellateswith the aid of transcriptomicand other molecular genetic tools, and provides a pathway for future studies of dinoflagellatesin this exciting omicsera.